The Raspberry Pio phenomenon brought unusual doses of innovation to the home and home environment. His arrival was a milestone in the world of computing. I mean, let's think about it carefully. We could have a fully functional computer that could fit in the palm of our hand with its motherboard on which a processor, a graphics chip and RAM were mounted. And for only 35 euros!
It is true that it does not include a power cable, hard disk or other peripherals such as keyboard or mouse or, of course, monitor. However, this low-cost mini computer is capable of opening the doors of experimentation and learning in the world of programming .
The Raspberry Pi can be used in countless projects beyond emulating retro games . Next, we show you a good handful of DIY uses and utilities to exploit this little computer in ways that you had not imagined.
Smart tv
As we all know, a Smart TV are televisions in which, apart from serving to view content, we can surf the Internet or install software to access your favorite apps.
With that said, Raspberry Pi can turn your old TV into a brand new Smart TV. But how is this possible? Very easy! All you need is to install the Kodi content management platform like any other app in its compatible version for Raspberry Pi .
Once the process is finished, we will have Kodi installed on our Raspberry Pi to enjoy all the multimedia content with total comfort.
Desktop PC
One of the most recurrent uses for Raspberry Pi is to use it as a kind of desktop PC in mini format .
In its small dimensions you will find four USB ports, HDMI connector, Ethernet port, support for Wi-Fi 802.11 b / g / n and Bluetooth 4.1 networks, and, of course, an official operating system, Raspbian. In short, you have everything you need to have a small desktop computer with performance to spare to perform office tasks, mail management, surf the Internet, etc.
Music streaming
You weren't expecting it, huh? With Raspberry Pi you can create a home music streaming system quite simply.
To begin, you must connect your Raspberry Pi to a sound system through its 3.5 mm jack connector. Next, you will need to install the Pi MusicBox system for streaming music. You can download it without problem from its own website completely free of charge. With this program you can turn your Raspberry Pi into a streaming music receiver compatible with the main digital music platforms (Spotify, SoundCloud).
Tablet mode
Raspberry Pi is one of the greatest exponents of the "Do It Yourself" philosophy . It has given birth to a wide variety of projects, many carried out by amateurs who have provided us with real wonders.
One of these projects was that of Michael Castor, a fan of the Pi, who wanted to have a Linux-based, portable and easy-to-use system. Finally, his option was to take a Raspberry Pi, put the remaining pieces together and assemble his own Tablet, which he christened the PiPad.
The end result can set back more than one, in aesthetic terms. It weighs too much, for a tablet, and is quite wide. However, it leaves nothing to be desired in terms of performance, at the very least, to enjoy multimedia content .
But beyond its usability, it is a project that serves more as learning and inspiration to continue expanding the frontiers of possibilities that the Raspberry Pi can offer us.
Device for home automation
Thanks to Domoticz, a free software for managing home automation elements and devices , and Raspberry Pi we will be able to create a low-cost home automation center. Of course, for this to work, we must verify that our Raspberry Pi is equipped with some type of Z-Wave hardware, such as the RaZberry daughter board, or if we have another Z-Wave device such as USB sticks.
Raspberry Pi has different sensors and radio receivers, as well as infrared control modules, which make it a very versatile tool to control the different functions of our smart home .
Surveillance system
We continue with the possibilities that Raspberry Pi offers for the connected home. On this occasion, we will discuss how we can control the security and video surveillance systems of our home thanks to this tiny device and the uvccapture command.
The latter allows us to perform sequentially, with the time period we choose, the consecutive capture of images from a USB camera . That is, we will obtain images every certain interval.
Thus, it would only be necessary to connect a camera module to a Raspberry Pi to mount a small surveillance device that will allow us to take photos or record video when movement is detected within its visual range.
Weather Station
We have already verified that the Raspberry Pi has sensors of all kinds. Here we will tell you how we can set up a highly accurate weather station , applying the appropriate sensors.
How about suitable sensors? To begin, we have to get hold of a series of devices that our Raspberry Pi does not include . Among them would be a DHT temperature and humidity sensor, ds18b20 barometer and thermometer, Raspberry pi cam noir (infrared webcam) and, finally, a wired rain gauge.
Once we have individually wired and connected the sensors to the Raspberry Pi, we can link a screen where we will see the data captured from the environment . In addition, if we connect it to the Internet, we can send data to other devices, store them, and generate statistics.
Device for education
This is actually why the Raspberry Pi was designed, and it does the job more than anything. If we look closely, all the uses that we have shown may be more or less useful depending on each user, but all without exception have the learning factor .
The Raspberry Pi provides everything you need to boost interest in computer science at a time when the programming is becoming increasingly important in schools. With our small device we can learn in a practical way and students can see their work reflected in specific projects.